With tonight's finale, the third season of "Industry" has the chance to dethrone "Shogun" as show of the year

The third season of Industry comes to an end tonight and it’s been a wild ride. After the season premiere, I declared myself “addicted” to the hit HBO drama about a group of investment bankers in London. As episode 8 approaches, I’m no less hooked and even considering picking it as the best series of 2024 so far.

There’s just one problem: “Shogun.”

By this point, you’ve undoubtedly heard of “Shogun.” The FX drama took the world by storm earlier this year. It cemented its legacy a few weeks ago when it won a record 18 Emmys from 25 nominations. The acting is incredible. The recreation of Sengoku period Japan is breathtaking. It deserves all the praise it has received and more.

However, it didn’t have to compete with “Industry” at these Emmys, and if it had, I’m not sure it would have been as dominant.

So with the Season 3 finale just around the corner, let’s dive into why “Industry” could be the best show of the year so far after tonight, and why getting “Shogun” off the grid might ultimately prove too difficult a task bring to.

The argument for “industry”: It’s more appealing

Let’s be honest: We all watch TV while we’re on the phone. It’s okay, I’m not judging you. I do it too.

But there is what I call “put away your phone shows.” Sometimes they’re shows like Shogun, where there are so many moving parts (not to mention subtitles) that you have to put your phone down to pay attention.

Sometimes the show is so captivating that you voluntarily put the phone down. That is The type of show is “industrial”. It’s a constant rush of adrenaline and endorphins. They want to see what crazy thing is going to happen next. In Season 3, friendships fell apart, a main character’s father died, there were overzealous paparazzi, magic mushroom trips… the list goes on. The investment bank in which most of the character’s work is even on the verge of collapse before the season finale.

With the description above, I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what happened on this show. It’s so well made and keeps you constantly on your toes. Yes, sometimes you can tell what’s going to happen next. But most of the time the show just surprises you with a big moment out of nowhere. Because of this, you can’t help but put the phone down while watching and wish there was a new episode as soon as the last one ends.

The Shogun Case: The Best Episodes Are Unbelievable

But here’s the thing, and this is why “Shogun” might still hold the crown of best show of 2024 after the third season finale of “Industry” — “Shogun” at its peak is simply better.

When I watch shows, I keep a ranking of the best TV episodes I’ve ever seen. Some series I like don’t have many episodes on this list, and some largely forgotten series manage to squeeze one episode into the list.

However, “Shogun” is at the top of this list. The top three spots on the list are all “Shogun” episodes, with “Ladies of the Willow World” taking the top spot. And as good as “Industry” is, its top episode only lands seventh on the list, although it manages to place two episodes in my top 10.

Kiku explains the Willow World to Blackthorne – Scene | Sho gun | FX – YouTube

Keep looking

Again, both shows are great. But “Shogun” did some truly impressive things. In particular, in “Ladies of the Willow World,” the camerawork during the scene where Lady Mariko Blackthorne explains the Willow World is expertly done (see video above), and Mariko’s monologue is brilliantly written. It’s both breathtaking and heartbreaking, and easily the best scene from a television show I’ve seen all year.

Watch the Season 3 finale of “Industry” tonight to judge for yourself

Myha'la in season 3 of "industry" on HBO and Max

(Image credit: Nick Strasburg/HBO)

I’ll be honest, I don’t expect the Season 3 finale of “Industry” to surpass the quality of “Ladies of the Willow World.” But if I manage to make it into the top three of my top 10 best TV episodes of the year, it might just be enough to make Industry my best show of the year so far.

To achieve that, the show needs to do what it does best. Pace yourself brilliantly, surprise yourself with things you never expected, and don’t be afraid to kill his darlings. It was a captivating show from start to finish of this season with a commendable underlying quality. There hasn’t been a bad episode yet. As long as it doesn’t slip here, it has a good chance of displacing “Shogun” as the best series of 2024.

Stream the third season finale of “Industry” tonight at 10 p.m. ET. Max.

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